The present invention relates to a method for producing a plate-like body attached with a resin frame (hereinbelow, referred to as a resin-frame-attached plate-like body) suitable for closing the space formed between a plate-like body used for a window of a vehicle or a building and a window opening of the vehicle or the building.
A resin-frame-attached plate-like body is fitted to a window opening of a vehicle or a building wherein a resin frame such as a molding, a gasket or the like made of synthetic resin which is for decorative purpose or improves sealing properties is attached to a peripheral portion of a plate-like body such as a glass sheet or a transparent resin plate.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the resin-frame-attached plate-like body used for a window of a vehicle. This resin-frame-attached plate-like body is attached firmly with a resin frame 3 by an adhesive 2 on a surface (a car interior side surface) of a peripheral portion of a plate-like body 1 such as a glass sheet or a transparent resin plate. The resin frame 3 comprises a lip portion 3a projecting outwardly from the peripheral portion of the plate-like body, and the lip portion 3a performs a sealing function to the vehicle body 4.
As the method for producing the resin-frame-attached plate-like body shown in FIG. 7, there is the method as follows. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an apparatus for producing the resin-frame-attached plate-like body shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a view observed from an arrow mark direction of IX-IV in FIG. 8. The apparatus comprises an extrusion machine 5. A resin material for a resin frame is extruded through a molding die 6 of the extrusion machine 5 into a predetermined shape in cross section whereby a molded product 7 for the resin frame is once formed. Then, the molded product 7 is supplied to a cavity portion 8a in a pressing member 8. Further, a peripheral portion of a plate-like body 1 supported by a driving robot 10 with sucking disks 9 is inserted into a plate-like body insertion opening 8b in the pressing member 8. In this case, an adhesive 2 is previously applied onto a surface (an upper surface in FIG. 8) of the peripheral portion of the plate-like body 1. Such molded product 7 is press-bonded to the plate-like body 1 by the pressing member 8. Accordingly, when the plate-like body 1 is moved with respect to the pressing member 8 in this state, the molded product 7 is attached firmly to the surface of the peripheral portion of the plate-like body 1 by the adhesive 2, whereby a resin frame 3 is formed.
Polyvinyl chloride has conventionally been used as a resin material for the frame of the molded product 7, which is used when the above-mentioned resin-frame-attached plate-like body is produced. However, there has been requested to use a material other than the polyvinyl chloride as the resin material for the frame in recent years. According to such request, the inventors of this application have made extensive studies of using a thermoplastic elastomer, in particular, an olefin type thermoplastic elastomer as the resin material for the frame. The thermoplastic elastomer is a polymeric material showing rubber elasticity at the room temperature but being plasticized at a high temperature and capable of molding. Namely, it has a function of distortion recovery by mainly physical cross-linking at the room temperature. However, it shows thermal plasticity at a high temperature because the cross-linking portion is temporarily lost, and shows rubber elasticity when it is cooled. However, in the case of using the thermoplastic elastomer as the resin material for the frame, when the molded product 7 is formed and it is attached firmly to a corner portion of the plate-like body 1, a tensile force is generated in the molded product 7 in a bending operation, with the result that the molded product 7 is broken.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a practically applicable plate-like body attached with a resin frame, which eliminates a possibility that the molded product is broken or the molded product is curved in a thickness direction of the plate-like body even when a thermoplastic elastomer is used as the resin material for the frame of the resin-frame-attached plate-like body to form the molded product, and even when the molded product is attached to a corner portion of the plate-like body.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a plate-like body attached with a resin frame, wherein a molded product is formed by extruding through a molding die a resin material for a resin frame into a predetermined shape in cross section; the molded product is pushed to at least one surface of a peripheral portion of the plate-like body for a window, and the resin frame having a lip portion for sealing the space between the plate-like body and a window opening to which the plate-like body is attached is integrated with the peripheral portion of the plate-like body, the method for producing a plate-like body attached with a resin frame being characterized by comprising:
using a thermoplastic elastomer as a resin material for the frame, and
conducting an extrusion process for extruding the resin material for a resin frame through a molding die to form a molded product; a cooling process for cooling the formed molded product to not more than 100xc2x0 C.; a heating process for heating a lip portion, an attached surface to be attached to the plate-like body, of the molded product, and the surface of the molded product which is opposite to the attached surface so that the temperature TL of the lip portion, the temperature TA of the attached surface and the temperature TO of the surface opposite to the attached surface have relations of TO less than TL less than TA and TAxe2x89xa7200xc2x0 C., and a press-bonding process for putting the molded product into a cavity portion in a pressing member disposed at a predetermined distance apart from the molding die; inserting a peripheral portion of the plate-like body into a plate-like body insertion opening of the pressing member, and press-bonding the molded product to the peripheral portion of the plate-like body while the pressing member is moved relatively to the plate-like body along the peripheral portion of the plate-like body, wherein these processes are conducted in the order of the extrusion processxe2x80x94cooling processxe2x80x94heating processxe2x80x94pressxe2x80x94bonding process, whereby the resin frame is formed integrally with the peripheral portion of the plate-like body.
In the present invention, it is desirable that in the cooling process, the temperature TL of the lip portion is not more than 50xc2x0 C., and the temperatures TA of the attached surface and the temperature TO of the surface opposite to the attached surface are not more than 100xc2x0 C.
Further, in the present invention, it is desirable that in the heating process, the temperature TL of the lip portion is from 100xc2x0 C. to 200xc2x0 C., and the temperature TA of the attached surface 7b is from 200xc2x0 C. to 300xc2x0 C. and the temperature TO of the surface opposite to the attached surface 7b is not more than 130xc2x0 C.
In the present invention, when the molded product made of the thermoplastic elastomer extruded through the molding die is once cooled to not more than 100xc2x0 C. to provide the elasticity as rubber, the elasticity as rubber is not lost even though it is heated thereafter. Accordingly, even when the thermoplastic elastomer is used for the resin frame and the resin frame is attached firmly to a corner portion of the plate-like body, the molded product does not break even when a tensile force is generated in the molded product in its longitudinal direction in the bending operation. Further, in the present invention, the attached surface to be attached to the plate-like body, of the molded product is heated to a higher temperature than the other portion, and is softened. Therefore, the attached surface can be attached well to the plate-like body. Further, in the present invention, the lip portion of the molded product is heated to a higher temperature than the surface which is opposite to the attached surface of the molded product, and is softened. Accordingly, when a tensile force is generated in the lip portion in its longitudinal direction by bending the molded product at a corner portion of the plate-like body, the lip portion can extend easily in its longitudinal direction. Therefore, there is little possibility that the lip portion is curved in a thickness direction of the plate-like body at the corner portion of the plate-like body.